Sep 11, 2026 · 1 hr 13 min · 14 segments
This week we’re talking about the most valuable skills that we've learned along the way, and we answer a listener question about buying tools as a beginner…
So I think the most fundamental skill that I could think of in all of the things we do and probably most listeners that people that are interested in fabricating building is you have to learn to measure and do layout.
And I think that's the root or for, for me, from my experience, like that is the root of all building.
We live in, you know, a chaotic world that isn't straight lines and nice flat planes.
So I feel like I'm constantly as a builder trying to make this perfect grid or overlay that I can, you know, adapt my projects to.
So I think that's, The first step is learning to read a tape.
Like you have to know how to use a tape.
Other countries, obviously metric, which I wish we were metric.
But yeah, so learning the basics of a tape, sixteenths, eighths, quarters, halves.
A lot of listeners already know these things, but I've been really surprised on a lot of job sites.
There's a lot of folks that do not know these things.
And you're completely handicapped if you're not proficient at reading a tape.
Uh, one that has been real helpful for me is knowing that a 16th of an inch is roughly 60 thousands because in the U S we have fractions, but if you're in the machining fabrication world, often you're dealing in thousands of an inch.
So learn some of your quick conversions.
If something is slightly over a 16th of an inch, then round to the next 32nd, which is about 30 thousandths of an inch.
And this comes in a lot.
And the metal shop, if we're drilling, I'm measuring on my calipers.
Like I don't like measuring infractions on calipers.
It drives me crazy.
uh but trying to relay i can't call out numbers to other people in the shop um so knowing your conversion so you can make a cut list that generally i'll put in like 16th of an inch plus or minus and that is like add a 30 second take a 30 second Um, learn to convert from standard to metric.
So there's 25.4 millimeters in an inch.
And that can come in handy with fasteners.
If you're working on cars, a lot of like in the U S I'm in the Southeast, like a lot of vehicles are half metric, half standard.
So learning some of those conversions, trying to find.
Thread pitch, bolt diameter.
So I think the most fundamental skill that I could think of in all of the things we do and probably most listeners that people that are interested in fabricating building is you have to learn to measure and do layout.
And I think that's the root or for, for me, from my experience, like that is the root of all building.
We live in, you know, a chaotic world that isn't straight lines and nice flat planes.
So I feel like I'm constantly as a builder trying to make this perfect grid or overlay that I can, you know, adapt my projects to.
So I think that's, The first step is learning to read a tape.
Like you have to know how to use a tape.
Other countries, obviously metric, which I wish we were metric.
But yeah, so learning the basics of a tape, sixteenths, eighths, quarters, halves.
A lot of listeners already know these things, but I've been really surprised on a lot of job sites.
There's a lot of folks that do not know these things.
And you're completely handicapped if you're not proficient at reading a tape.
Uh, one that has been real helpful for me is knowing that a 16th of an inch is roughly 60 thousands because in the U S we have fractions, but if you're in the machining fabrication world, often you're dealing in thousands of an inch.
So learn some of your quick conversions.
If something is slightly over a 16th of an inch, then round to the next 32nd, which is about 30 thousandths of an inch.
And this comes in a lot.
And the metal shop, if we're drilling, I'm measuring on my calipers.
Like I don't like measuring infractions on calipers.
It drives me crazy.
uh but trying to relay i can't call out numbers to other people in the shop um so knowing your conversion so you can make a cut list that generally i'll put in like 16th of an inch plus or minus and that is like add a 30 second take a 30 second Um, learn to convert from standard to metric.
So there's 25.4 millimeters in an inch.
And that can come in handy with fasteners.
If you're working on cars, a lot of like in the U S I'm in the Southeast, like a lot of vehicles are half metric, half standard.
So learning some of those conversions, trying to find.
Thread pitch, bolt diameter.
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